Discussions of Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become an Empty Nose Victim! by Christopher Martin. It is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. This winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award 2008, Bronze Medalist, offers an inspiring account of ENS, a critique of nasal surgery, and effective treatment strategies for ENS, which can effectively help you treat just about ANY nose or sinus problem.

Does this book pique your interest?

Christopher Martin

Welcome to the ENS Book Blog...

My name is Chris Martin and I am a school psychologist from Upstate New York and empty nose sufferer of 10 years. I would like to welcome you to the blog for discussing Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! I wrote this book out of a desire to raise awareness of ENS to a new level and also in part because there were so few resources for ENS sufferers. While writing it, I learned that many of the strategies for treating ENS could actually be very beneficial for a host of nasal and sinus problems. This book is part testimonial and part informational. Who could benefit from this book? Treatment strategies in it could significantly help those with ENS, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, postnasal drip, acid reflux, and/or asthma (pretty much anyone with kleenex in the house). An unbiased review of medical literature could empower those considering nose or sinus surgery. The testimonial and scientific journey of ENS could inform ENT specialists and plastic surgeons; scientists studying regenerative medicine; and families and friends.

About Me

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I posted the following message at the General Discussion Forum of www.emptynosesyndrome.org, but thought I'd share these messages here as well.

My visit with Dr. Tichenor

Having improved in various ways via the implants, such as increased moisture and heat in the nasal mucosa leading to thinner mucus, improved sleep, increased airflow resistance, I still have some issues to deal with, so I visited Dr. Tichenor. These issues I am trying to tackle include chronic postnasal drip, irritated throat and sometimes bothersome ears.

The visit with Dr. Tichenor went very well. He was very thorough and gave me red carpet treatment. Dr. Tichenor really showed me he was trying to get to the bottom of my issues, unlike most other doctors. It took me about 1-2 hours to fill out all the paperwork regarding my presenting issues, the biggest of which was an irritated throat. He is a soft-spoken doctor who takes his time and listened to my concerns. The nurse also took quite a bit of time with me before I met with Dr. Tichenor. Dr. Tichenor did 4 mucus samples, taking 2 from my nasal vestibules and 1 from the base of the maxillary sinus where mucus built up, and 1 from the ethmoid sinuses where I have a lot of scarring. Depending on results of the cultures, he will determine whether any additional medicine is warranted. Most doctors don't draw cultures because it is not cost effective medicine. He also had his nurse draw my blood to check out my immune system. I had a pneumonia shot about 2 years ago (you are supposed to get one every 5 years) and he wanted to see if it was effective enough in boosting my immune system. So depending on the results of the blood drawn, his office will determine whether I should proceed with another pneumonia shot. Dr. Tichenor also did a nasal endoscopy using a flexible endoscope -as opposed to a rigid endoscope - which was attached to a video monitor. He talked into the video monitor while investigating my nose. He said I might have some mucus recirculation on both sides of the nose in part caused by the uncinate process and one of the ostia (drainage holes) could be made larger. Dr. Tichenor recommended I do not need surgery if I feel better in the future, particularly with respect to my mucus/postnasal drip issues, and there is always a chance such a surgery could make me worse and some doctors might be reluctant to operate on me anyway given my extensive tissue loss; but I could entertain it at a later time. And if I did it at a later time, it must be done using computer-aided imagery, probably for safety reasons....so I'm not entertaining it now but it is an option for me to improve my sinusitis if need be at a later time, but hopefully I can avoid it (This surgery is the same as the one recommended to me in 2003, as noted in my book, but they would not have used computer-aided imagery, so I'm thankful it was avoided.

Dr. Tichenor is also entertaining possibly giving me a round of allergy tests, as he thinks my allergy injections might not be helping me enough and should be reevaluated. All in all, I felt like this visit I was treated as a first-class citizen and he really seemed to be getting to the root of my sinusitis problems (in part caused by ENS). If I can get some of these issues under better control, such as postnasal drip and my irritated throat and ears, I am going to be doing all right.

Glad I had implants and now I'm glad to be solving the other part of the puzzle....If you are in the NYC area or elsewhere and suffer from allergies or sinusitis in addition to ENS, consider paying Dr. Tichenor an office visit. I was glad I did.....

Lifeline Pilots

Thanks to efforts from my friend Paul (http://emptynosesyndromehope.blogspot.com), he has notified me that LifeLine Pilots (http://www.lifelinepilots.org) has agreed to offer free charter airline flights to ENS sufferers. This is great news, particularly for those who might be experiencing economic hardship with respect to ENS. I informed Dr. Tichenor of this development and he was encouraged, as he mentions this group on his website as well (http://www.sinuses.com)

Hours: The office is open Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Time. We are available on a 24/7 basis for changes regarding missions already scheduled or in progress. The after hours cell number may be obtained after hours by calling our toll free number: 1-800-822-7972. Office: 1-309-697-6282 Office Fax: 1-800-822-7969 To speak to a Flight Coordinator: 1-800-822-7972.